Many migrants currently living in Malta find themselves in a state of great uncertainty over what is going to happen to them in the coming months, the Richmond Foundation has warned.

Such uncertainty can cause extreme anxiety as well as a sense of helplessness, as there is nothing they can do to exert control over their current and future situation.

The foundation issued a statement days after a Ghanaian man took his own life, with friends claiming he had been driven to the edge because of the uncertainty of his status in Malta.

A sense of helplessness to change things for oneself... are key predictors of suicidal thoughts

"A sense of helplessness to change things for oneself, and of hopelessness that things can change in the future, are key predictors of suicidal thoughts and actions," the foundation said.

Migrants are around 10 times more likely to experience post-traumatic stress disorder than the general population. They are also more likely to experience certain life stressors before (poverty, persecution), during (physical danger, separation from loved ones) and after the process of leaving their country (detention, uncertainty), all of which can contribute to the development of mental health issues.

The World Health Organisation emphasises that post-migration factors can play a large part in whether or not a mental health problem becomes a chronic one.

Unstable situations can only serve to exacerbate these already existing challenges, thereby increasing migrants’ risk for developing mental health problems, which lead to intense suffering and at worst, death.

Last November, the Home Affairs Ministry suspended the renewal of those holding THPn status, a move which incensed human rights organisations.

People concerned about their mental health or the mental health of a friend or relative should contact the Richmond Foundation on 2144 0324 or at info@richmond.org.mt .